Caps seek first win streak of the season in matchup with Pens

Published February 03, 2013

| Sports Network

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After holding onto a third-period lead last time out, the Washington Capitals try to make it two victories in a row for the first time this season as they play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon.

The Capitals lost their first four of the season before picking up a home win
over Buffalo on Jan. 27. They then hit the road for a pair of games in Ottawa
and Toronto and lost both 3-2 despite taking a one-goal edge into the third
period both times.

Washington next began a three-game homestand on Friday against the
Philadelphia Flyers and found itself in a tie game after 40 minutes before
getting third-period goals from Troy Brouwer and Wojtek Wolski. Though the
Flyers got one back, the Caps held on for a 3-2 win.

Nicklas Backstrom added a goal and an assist, while Braden Holtby ended with
29 saves.

"We did really well in the neutral zone," Wolski said. "I think the last
couple of games in the third period we seemed to break down and get away from
what we want to be doing in the neutral zone. I think tonight we really stuck
together and reminded each other to stay wide. We did that really well, we got
a lot of turnovers and pucks going the other way."

The Caps will continue their residency without defenseman John Erskine, who
received a three-game suspension on Saturday for delivering an elbow to the
head of Philadelphia's Wayne Simmonds in the first period. No penalty was
called on the play, but Simmonds did not return to the game.

The Capitals will battle the Penguins on Sunday in the first of three meetings
this season, including a return engagement in Pittsburgh on Thursday. They
have won five of seven and are 12-1-3 in the last 16 meetings with the Pens
overall while notching a 5-1-2 record in the last eight played in Washington.

Pittsburgh, though, has been a strong road club this season, going 4-1-0. It
will play three of its next four as the guest after winning for the first time
at home (1-2-0) with a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz had a goal and two assists each, while Marc-
Andre Fleury made 15 saves.

"We were able to get things out of our zone quickly and the penalty kill did
great," said Crosby. "We made a big commitment to our defense today and it was
nice to get that reward."

Pittsburgh also got goals from a pair of defensemen in Kris Letang and Robert
Bortuzzo, who scored his first career NHL goal, while forward Brandon Sutter
notched his first goal and second point since being acquired from the Carolina
Hurricanes this past offseason.